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Space - extending infinitely in all directions.

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Minds strain and stretch to unlock its mysteries.

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We've only begun to probe,

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yet in that short span of time, space has taught us much.

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The more we learn about galaxies, stars and planets,

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the more enlightened our own world becomes.

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With the advent of the space age, we have for the first time

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seen our tiny world suspended in the dark void,

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showing none of the artificial boundaries that divide humankind.

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This fragile planet is at our mercy

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and we must all strive to protect it for ourselves

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and generations to come.

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We've learned that the Earth is a perfect, living, breathing sphere.

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Once considered unlimited, now we know better.

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Population continues to explode,

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making resources, food supplies, and the land itself more precious.

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Social problems such as crime, debt, poverty,

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disease, and incompetent governments compound the problems -

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problems that aren’t solved by politics

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or by leadership that doesn't lead.

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We are losing faith and growing impatient

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as we watch these conditions spread, and rightly so,

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since practical solutions are within reach.

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We are approaching a time when we must decide upon a new direction

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before the choices are made for us.

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The answers of yesterday are no longer relevant.

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We can now act decisively with a new direction,

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designed to further our social evolution

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and boldly enter the 21st century.

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In the next few minutes

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you will see a vision of the future with a fresh approach.

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A vision with human and environmental concern.

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A vision called The Venus Project.

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THE VENUS PROJECT

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The Venus Project presents an alternative design for our culture.

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It provides an attainable direction for a bright and better future

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by applying the latest technologies directly to our social system

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to benefit the lives of everyone.

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Through education and the intelligent application of what we already know,

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we can eventually eliminate war, poverty, hunger,

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debt, crime, and taxes.

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[Jacque Fresco] There's no place to hide today -

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you cannot escape from human stupidity.

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War, weapons,

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corruption, seems to be prevalent all over the world.

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Merely talking about idealism

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and not designing an approach

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does not alleviate the problem.

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Our main aim and our main reason for funding

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is to make these things a reality.

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The aims of The Venus Project

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are to ensure social and economic stability,

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quality medical care and education,

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a clean environment,

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plentiful housing, goods and services,

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recreation, and access to all the amenities

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that a prosperous innovative society can provide.

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These goals are not merely a paper proclamation.

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They can be translated into a physical reality

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if, as a society, we choose to do so.

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A democracy that does not ensure the necessities of life is meaningless.

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So I would say the more we invest in human beings,

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in warmth, love, education, good fellowship,

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the more secure all our futures.

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We are tied in with nature

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and all of the environment surrounding us.

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To negate or neglect any part of that

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would be damaging to ourselves and our own aim.

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We do it because it's the decent and constructive thing to do.

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The American free enterprise system does generate incentive.

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However, it also creates greed, corruption, crime,

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stress, and economic insecurity.

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The consuming pursuit of money that grips many in our society

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has a dehumanizing effect

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and has led us to our present self-centered values.

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What'll happen if we continue to automate production

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and get rid of more and more people?

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Pretty soon, if you automate typing,

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and you automate most human jobs,

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then the majority of Americans

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and the majority of people all over the world

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will not have the purchasing power to buy products.

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So what good is a factory of turning out automobiles

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if they have an automation plant, and the automobiles turned out automatically,

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who is going to be around to be able to buy those cars?

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What are they going to use for money?

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So what happens - our system dies.

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The free enterprise system was terrific

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50 years ago, maybe 30 years ago,

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but it's no longer adequate.

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So if an automobile factory or any other factory goes completely automatic

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and most people lose their jobs

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and they don't have the purchasing power,

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you tell me how the free enterprise system can function.

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It comes to an end. And when it comes to an end,

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there become gangs and riots, and crime begins to rise.

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I'm not advocating this, I'm not for this.

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I'm just trying to describe what most likely will happen.

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And if that happens, then a military dictatorship will come in,

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in which people will tell you how to live and what to do.

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That's called a dictatorship.

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It comes about when you can't manage

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the mass majority of your people.

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And so,

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that dictatorship is something I have a tremendous fear of,

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and we're trying to do this Venus Project to show people

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of a possible alternative to social chaos.

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The Venus Project proposes a resource-based economy

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making the necessities of life available to everyone.

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The real value of any nation is its developed and potential resources,

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and the individuals that are working towards the elimination of scarcity.

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This can only be accomplished

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through the intelligent application of science and technology.

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Unfortunately, today, science and technology

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has been diverted from achieving these ends

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through the deliberate withdrawal of efficiency,

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and planned obsolescence.

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This is now true in every aspect of our society.

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When education and resources are made available,

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there would be no limit to the human potential.

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The measure of success would be based on the fulfillment

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and the quality of one's life

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rather than the acquisition of wealth, property and power.

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By the redesign of our culture and overcoming scarcity,

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most of the crimes and even the prisons of today's society

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could be eliminated.

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The Venus Project’s proposed cities and industrial plants

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would be the birthplace for such an environment.

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It is far easier and less costly

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to build new efficient cities and industrial plants

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than to attempt to update and solve the problems of the old ones.

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They would combine the most sophisticated utilization

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of available resources and construction techniques.

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The city's circular arrangement in its geometric elegance

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would be surrounded by parks and lovely gardens,

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and designed to operate with the minimum expenditure of energy,

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to obtain the highest possible standard of living for all.

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The city's concentric circles each have a specific function.

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The agricultural belt is situated in the outermost perimeter.

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A waterway surrounds the agricultural belt

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which produces bountiful crops,

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many grown in transparent enclosed buildings

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without the use of pesticides and dangerous chemical fertilizers.

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Eight areas are set aside to provide energy

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from the wind, sun and other clean renewable sources.

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There will be continuous research and development for new clean energy.

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The residential area,

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beautifully landscaped amid lake and winding streams,

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displays a wide variety of homes,

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contoured to blend in with the environment.

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They are prefabricated with new materials requiring little maintenance.

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With this type of construction,

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damage from earthquakes, hurricanes and fire would be greatly reduced.

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As we leave the residential district and move towards the city center,

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we pass additional recreational facilities and dining areas.

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Here, a wide selection of organically grown food would be available.

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Next are the apartments, planning and design centers.

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As we approach the center of the city,

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we see a large dome surrounded by eight smaller domes.

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These small domes house the library, science, art, music,

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research, exhibition, entertainment, and conference centers,

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which are fully equipped and available to all.

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The central dome or theme center houses the cybernated system,

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educational facilities, shopping,

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communications networking, and the medical center.

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This cybernated system will link computers with automated machinery

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coordinating all the services and functions of the entire city.

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One can think of this as the brain and nervous system

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extending into all areas of the society.

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For example, in the residential sector,

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it will monitor environmental cleanliness and recycle waste.

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It will automatically control and maintain a constant inventory

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between factory and consumers.

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Production and distribution will be balanced

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to correspond with demand, eliminating shortages and overruns.

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Although the industrial districts are highly automated,

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they are non-polluting, silent, and clean,

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with easy access to the cities.

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They border canals, which facilitate transportation.

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When cybernation is integrated into all aspects of this new and dynamic culture,

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only then can computers appropriately serve the needs of all people.

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No technological civilization can ever operate efficiently and effectively

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without the application of cybernetics to the social system.

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This dynamic approach only acts to enhance people's lives;

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it doesn't monitor or dictate their lives.

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Monotonous and boring jobs would be phased out,

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and a high standard of living will be maintained for everyone.

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With an opportunity for constant growth and achievement,

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people will have the time and freedom to choose the lifestyle

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they find the most fulfilling.

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The central dome provides access to most transportation.

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Horizontal, vertical and radial conveyors take one anywhere within the city.

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Monorails and electrically operated vehicles

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provide for city-to-city transportation.

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Transcontinental runs are made by a wide variety of aircraft.

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High-speed maglev trains remain in motion

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as passenger compartments are lifted away, and others are lowered in their place.

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These units then take passengers to their local destinations.

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Living would also be exciting in one of the cities on or below the sea.

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Seacraft would be available for everyone’s use.

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A computerized console in an undersea apartment

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brings many forms of marine life within view.

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Eventually, through using total design concepts,

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the threat of floods or droughts could be minimized.

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A series of canals and water-storage basins with flood locks

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could provide irrigation, transportation and recreation,

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and hold back flood waters for future needs.

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As with any massive construction initiative,

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the possible gains and negative effects will be thoroughly reviewed

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before each project is started.

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Perhaps the greatest limiting factors of our present day pre-scientific culture

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can be traced to our language, social customs and values,

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which were conceived in earlier times.

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The designs of The Venus Project

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will not only be applied to cities, industrial processes and the environment,

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but to education as well.

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The aims of The Venus Project have no parallel in history -

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not with communism, socialism, fascism,

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or any other political ideology.

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This is true because cybernation is of recent origin.

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With this system, the positions of financial influence and control

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would no longer exist.

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Our only concern is the building of a better world

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by eventually inviting the equal participation of all nations.

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The function of this new experimental city

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is to test the validity of the Venus Project’s designs and proposals.

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There is no doubt that there would be shortcomings

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and inevitable modifications during this transition,

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which we accept and expect.

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But the final test of the practicality of any system

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is simply how well the system works.

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As these newer communities develop and become widely accepted,

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they will form the basis of a new society,

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preferably through the process of evolution rather than revolution.

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BEYOND THE VISION

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Well, I wanted to say there's no such thing as Utopia.

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What you call the best television set

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is the best that you have up to now.

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But you know two years from now you’ll look back and say "Oh my God!'"

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So, what you call Utopia is just a better way of life

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than you’ve known in the past, but there's no end

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to the possibilities, which I think haven't even begun yet!

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The civilized world hasn’t even begun to get off the ground.

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The jobs that will be accomplished in the future,

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the marvels, the technology to come, is unbelievable.

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And it's about high time we get off our self-centered

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self-seeking,

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self-advantageous designs,

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and get on with the social job that has to be done,

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namely, the reclamation of the environment, and human beings as well.

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So we welcome everybody’s participation.

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Phase One is the Venus Project’s 25-acre Design Center

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in still pristine South Central Florida,

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where the future is taking shape now.

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The actual building along with models, illustrations, and this video

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are the first steps that have been completed

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to help you feel, see and touch the future -

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to dream, to hope,

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to strive for a better life for all people everywhere,

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where nature and technology can safely coexist.

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Indeed, The Venus Project is a quantum jump

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from our politically mismanaged and scarcity-oriented culture.

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The technology and resources necessary for such an undertaking

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are available today.

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But before it can happen,

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we must act supportively to bring it about.

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The only limitations to the human potential

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are those we superimpose upon ourselves.

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This is only a brief introduction to the aims of The Venus Project.

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We invite your inquiries, and welcome your participation

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to help make the choices that will bring it about.

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[Model Machine Shop]

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For further information, or for the book 'The Venus Project'

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THE VENUS PROJECT
21 Valley Lane
Venus FL 33960 USA

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Phone 942-465-0321
Fax 941-465-1928

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website
www.thevenusproject.com

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THE VENUS PROJECT

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Proposed & Designed by
Jacque Fresco

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Producers
Jacque Fresco, Roxanne Meadows

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Script
Jacque Fresco

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Photography
Jacque Fresco, Roxanne Meadows

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Editor
Wilson Hawthorne

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Copyright 1994, The Venus Project